Refrigerated cabinet



W1 1?, 1% R. T. CORNELIUS REFRIGERATED CABINET Filed Feb. 28, 1964 INVENTOB. T 6 01 176 ((18 Rakflaw BY M 4.5M, W, 1%4 w W A TTURN]: YS

United States Patent 3,251,198 REFRIGERATED CABINET Richard T. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Cornelius Company, Auoka, Minm, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Feb. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 348,004 2 Claims. (Cl. 62-451) This invention relates generally to refrigeration cabinets, and more specifically to a structure by which a refrigeration coil .is supported therein.

Although the principles of the present invention may be included in various devices, a particularly useful application is made in a refrigerated cabinet. Such cabinets comprise an article of commerce in and of themselves, and such cabinets also may be incorporated as a part of other refrigerated devices such as dispensing or vending machines, coolers, refrigerators, display cabinets, and the like.

In industries engaged in the manufacture of refrigerated cabinets, there is a good deal of economic competition, and therefore it is desirable at all times to provide in productiori any economy of construction which is possible, either as to labor, materials, required tooling, or a combination thereof. The present invention utilizes a thermally conductive tape to hold a heat-exchange coil in a thermally conductive relation to a thremally conductive cabinet liner which defines the chamber to be refrigerated. The tape thus not only provides a mechanical assembly function, but also provides or comprises a structural element contributing to the heat-exchange efiiciency of the device.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved refrigerated cabinet.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerated cabinet of such construction as to be economically inexpensive to manufacture.

Yet another object of the present invention is to utilize a thermally conductive tape on a liner and coil in a manner which precludes separation of the tape from the liner and the coil.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerated cabinet equipped with thermally conductive tape for supporting the refrigerant coil in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the view being partly diagrammatic;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view in reduced scale, with the tape partly broken away, of the cabinet liner assembly shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line lIIIII of FIG. 1, the thickness of the tape being exaggerated for clarity.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a refrigerated cabinet assembly such as illustrated in FIG. 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The cabinet includes a cabinet liner 11, a heat-exchange coil or cooling coil 12, a quantity of tape 13 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a jacket of rigid insulation 14, and a suitable external housing or cover 15.

The cabinet liner 11 comprises thermally conductive material, here shown to be in sheet form, such material preferably comprising aluminum. The liner 11 thus defines a chamber 16, the temperature of which is controlled, such as by operation of a refrigeration system 17.

The coil 12 comprises tubing for conducting refrigerant from the refrigeration system 17, the ends of the coil 12 being suitably constructed for receiving and returning refrigerant.

Referring to FIG. 2, one end of the coil! is indicated at 18 from which the coil 12 extends horizontally across the bottom of the liner 11, thence upwardly along one side and across the upper marginal portion of that one side, and thence downwardly to the bottom where the coil crosses the bottom in spaced relation to the first described portion thereof, and thence upwardly to the opposite side in a U-shapedpath, terminating again at the bottom at an end indicated at 19. The coil 12 comprises thermally conductive material, and preferably comprises aluminum. Throughout substantially its entire length, the coil 12 is in direct heat-transfer engagement with the liner 11, such engagement being with the outside surface of the liner 11 along the effective length of the coil 12.

To hold the coil in the position illustrated, there is provided the thermally conductive tape 13, also preferably comprising aluminum, the tape 13 being secured to the coil 12 and to the liner 11. A typical tape in accordance with this invention is two inches in width and .006 inch in thickness, such tape and mode of construction being shown in FIG. 3 where the thickness of the tape 13 is exaggerated for clarity. A median portion of the tape indicated at 20 engages a substantial amount of the peripheral extent of the tubing 12, there being lateral portions 21, 22 extending from the coil 12 on opposite sides thereof in flatwise engagement with the liner 11, and also secured thereto.

It is preferable that the tape 13 be secured to the coil 12 and the liner 11 as by cementing. Such cement may constitute a contact cement such as is normally known as rubber cement, or the same may comprise a pressuresensitive adhesive, the latter beingalso referred to herein as cemen The insulation 14 preferably comprises rigid material, for example Styrofoam, which not only supports the liner 11, but also supports the tape 13 in engagement with the coil 12 and the liner 11. Such engagement by the insulation with the tape precludes separation of the cement in that the insulation 14 augments the cement by holding the tape against the coil 12 and the liner 11. Thus, mechanical movement of the tape away from its position of heattransfer relationship is prevented.

In the example described above, it has been stated that the liner 11, the coil 12, and the tape 13 all comprise aluminum. It is preferable that these three elements comprise the same thermally conductive material. When this relationship is present, since the coefiicient of expansion of these three elements will be the same, there is no tendency in response to thermal changes for relative expansion to occur, and thus such possible source of breaking of the thermal contact is avoided.

If desired, otherfeatures may be added to the disclosed structure so that it may be used as a dispensing or vending machine, cooler, refrigerator, display cabinet, and the like, while taking advantage of the economy in construction that the present invention affords.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mechanically refrigerated device, including in combination:

(a) a cabinet liner defining a chamber, the temperature of which is to be controlled, said liner comprising thermally conductive material;

(b) a thermally conductive coil adapted at its ends to be connected to a mechanical refrigeration system, and disposed along its length in heat-transfer engagement with the outside surface of said liner;

(c) a thermally conductive tape disposed along said length of said coil and secured thereto and to the outside surface of said thermally conductive liner; and

(d) substantially rigid insulation jacketing said liner in engagement with said tape and holding said tape in engagement with said coil and said liner, and precluding separation of said tape from said coil and said liner, said rigid insulation and said tape comprising the sole means supporting said coil intermediate its ends in position against said liner.

2. A mechanically refrigerated device, including in combination:

(a) cabinet liner defining a chamber, the temperature of Which is to be controlled, said liner comp-rising aluminum sheeting;

(b) an aluminum cooling coil adapted at its ends to be connected to a mechanical refrigeration. system, and

disposed along substantially its entire effective length 25 in heat-transfer engagement with the outside surface of said liner;

(c) an aluminum tape disposed along said length of said heat-exchange coil and cemented thereto, said tape extending from said coil transversely to its length and defining a lateral portion of said tape cemented to the outside surface of said aluminum liner; and

(d) substantially rigid insulation jacketing said liner in engagement with said tape and precluding separation, of the cement by holding said tape against movement away from said coil and said liner, said rigid insulation and said tape comprising the sole means supporting said coil intermediate its ends in position against said liner.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,625,378 1/1953 Nason 62-451 X 2,713,248 .7/1955 Cann et al 62-451 X 2,799,481 7/1957 Collins -171 X 2,806,360 9/ 1957 Armentrout 62-451 X 2,823,522 2/1958 Collins 165-171 X 2,900,806 8/1959 Wurtz et a1 62-451 X 2,912,230 11/1959 Rataiczak 62-516 X 2,934,917 5/1960 Collins 62-516 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner.

LLOYD L. KING, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MECHANICALLY REFRIGERATED DEVICE, INCLUDING IN COMBINATION: (A) A CABINET LINER DEFINING A CHAMBER, THE TEMPERATURE OF WHICH IS TO BE CONTROLLED, SAID LINER COMPRISING THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL; (B) A THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE COIL ADAPTED AT ITS ENDS TO BE CONNECTED TO A MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION SYSTEM, AND DISPOSED ALONG ITS LENGTH IN HEAT-TRANSFER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SAID LINER; (C) A THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE TAPE DISPOSED ALONG SAID LENGTH OF SAID COIL AND SECURED THERETO AND TO THE OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SAID THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE LINER; AND (D) SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID INSULATION JACKETING SAID LINER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TAPE AND HOLDING SAID TAPE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID COIL AND SAID LINER, AND PRECLUDING SEPARATION OF SAID TAPE FROM SAID COIL AND SAID LINER, SAID RIGID INSULATION AND SAID TAPE COMPRISING THE SOLE MEANS SUPPORTING SAID COIL INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS IN POSITION AGAINST SAID LINER. 